In the underground stone prison, the hole letting in light ant it was no longer enveloped in darkness where day and night were indistinguishable. During the day, it was clear daylight, and at night, a slight moonlight. These rays of light shone through the hole, casting shadows of the sun and the moon.
"The sun is a sacred disc. The shadow it casts on the ground is equally a perfect circle... It is also a sacred petal, the most brilliant blossom borne by the towering Cotton God Tree, the sun flower..."
The Mayan rchant Tikalo leaned against the corner of the stone prison, gazing at the sunlight spots on the stone slab, talking to himself. He recited Maya mythology he had morized since childhood, as the sun’s circular shape reflected in his eyes. In this solitude, even in the pitch-dark dungeon, only such constant self-talk could keep him sane and not overco by despair and fear.
"The sun flower unfolds like a disc, and the Sun Lord Ah Kin awakens from slumber! He is the embodint created by the ancient Heavenly Serpent god, leaving a shadow among humans... Oh, ancestors of the Heavenly Serpent! They embrace the sun’s radiance, descending from the petal-like disc, from the heavens above! And the Divine Descendants bearing the Heavenly Serpent bloodline inherit His divinity... much like my nephew, Ti’aj Kin..."
"The Divine Descendants in the mortal realm inherit the divine nature from above, an eternal heritage, originating from when all gods first descended! Our hands and feet, with twenty fingers and toes correspond to a month guarded by a deity... Eighteen ancient gods created the year, plus five and a quarter naless divine days, making a full year..."
"And as for , I have stayed in the first pitch-black stone prison for half a year plus three days. In this second lit stone prison, I have been for two twenty-day months, but short three days..."
The Mayan rchant Tikalo murmured, calculating the days. It had been a full 37 days since the Papu Priest last ca. Who knows when the next ti will be...
"Thump, thump, boom..."
The low footsteps seem to co from above the stone prison. This sound was faint yet distinctly hurried. And more clearly, there were so chaotic and distant shouts, indistinguishable but seemingly echoing throughout the entire water stockade.
"Hmm?"
"Thump, thump, boom..."
As the footsteps approached, the shouting suddenly vanished. The Mayan rchant Tikalo perked his ears, pressing them against the stone wall, like a clever old fox. After listening for a while, he promptly sat up straight, vigorously rubbing his pale face, and even tidied his filthy short robe.
"Boom!"
Before al ti, the heavy stone door was swung open with a roar. The brightness from outside instantly flooded in, illuminating Tikalo, who was sitting cross-legged with a serene smile.
"Honorable Papu Priest! Blessings of the Chief Divine! We et again!"
Outside stood the Papu Priest, expression grim and silent. His ritual robe was still stained with blood, a faint white mark on his neck from sweat and seawater evaporation speaking of the harsh passage of ti. On closer inspection, his ever-confident face seed to have aged significantly overnight.
"Chuchute. Guard the door with your n!"
"Yes, Lord Priest!"
Chieftain Chuchute wore tattered leather armor, holding a chipped red bronze axe. The dark red stains on his outfit hinted at battlefield carnage. The cruel blood and flas of war, the resonating thunder, the mad charges, all etched deeply in Chuchute’s heart along with the marks on his body. At present, the usually carefree tribe leader wore an expression full of fatigue, and as he looked sidelong at Tikalo, a feigned smile and faint hope seed to linger in his eyes.
"Hmm?!"
The Mayan rchant Tikalo straightened, his eyes sparkling. Smiling, he addressed the Papu Priest.
"Honored Papu Priest... is the sacrificial rite at the Lake Sacrifice revived? May I be a sacrifice and take a wash there?"
Upon hearing this, the Papu Priest pursed his lips, peered deeply into Tikalo’s face. This ti, he lacked the heart for pleasantries or patience for trivialities. After a brief silence, he inhaled deeply, his gaze turned stern, directly issuing a threat.
"Mayan! Just yesterday, the xica’s legions have captured the Lake Sacrifice City! The priest elder you recognized, Tezozomoc, has also lit a great fire in the Temple of the Feathered Serpent, devoutly heading to the Divine Kingdom!"
"At this mont, the xica legion commander Black Wolf has dispatched those Red Hair vanguards, marching towards this water stockade! By tomorrow at the latest, those archery barbarians will arrive here, bringing death through fire!"
"Witness the gods! Tonight, I shall retreat with the naval forces to the water stockade of the Hidden Serpent Holy City. As for you, insolent Mayan! Your fate, be it life or death, now hinges on my whim!"
"Oh? Hahaha!"
Hearing such thinly veiled threats, the eyes of the Mayan rchant Tikalo suddenly glead brightly. At this mont, he not only saw the light, but also stretched his hand to embrace it, just like the Heavenly Serpent Ancestor in the myths!
"Honorable Papu Priest, I am rely an ordinary Mayan rchant. My insignificant life or death pales in significance compared to your sacred survival..."
The Mayan rchant Tikalo smiled warmly as he stood, slightly bowing respectfully to the Feathered Serpent Priest before him. He then wore an earnest and deferential smile, like a servant working for the Divine Descendants, humbly inquiring.
"Witness the Chief Divine! The sun rises from the West, illuminating the shores of the far East. The surging tides have arrived, the ancient sacred land is destined for rebirth... Honored Lord Priest, may I be fortunate enough to hear your intentions and seek out a new serpent’s ring for you?"
"..."
Listening to these words and observing Tikalo’s manner, the Papu Priest lowered his gaze, retracting his intimidating expression, remaining silent for a long ti. After a spell, he sighed deeply, speaking calmly for the first ti, addressing the Mayan rchant by na.
"Tikalo, you are clever. From our first conversation, I knew you were a smart, cunning fox!"
"The xica have taken the Lake Sacrifice City, slaughtering thousands of samurai, capturing tens of thousands of tribes... Currently, the Hidden Serpent Holy City less than two hundred miles from Lake Sacrifice City is already precarious, like a massive wooden tree severed at the roots... In my view, the xica soldiers are unstoppable, the city’s imminent fall is rely a matter of ti..."
"And I, after fighting for the Holy City for so long, defeating several kingdom fleets... have fulfilled my duty to the seaside Chief Priest of the Hidden Serpent Holy City, and to the idols of the Feathered Serpent Ancient City!"
At this point, the Papu Priest lifted his eyes, locking onto Tikalo’s expression. His gaze was cold and sharp, like a piercing Obsidian Dagger.
"Gods’ protection! Now, I wish to find a safe retreat for my troops, for the tribes following ! That retreat must truly be a passage to life, not any path to death!"
"Honestly! My hands are stained with much blood of the Purpecha people, much blood of the Tototanak people!... Compared to these, Mayan blood is the least... Escaping to Maya would be my last choice..."
"I do not trust the xica’s Black Wolf Commander! I’ve seen him destroy the Feathered Serpent Ancient City, sacrificing hundreds of Feathered Serpent priests... He is a truly cold, rciless beast! Thus, I will never surrender to Black Wolf! The only one I would willingly concede to would be the God of Death, who values promises and credibility more than my life!"
"Tikalo, truthfully, I don’t trust you! I don’t believe you would help , nor that you could convince the God of Death... Nevertheless, I am willing to give you a chance!"
"Gods witness! Ancestors witness! Right here, right now!"
To Tikalo’s astonishnt, the Papu Priest suddenly drew a dark red Obsidian Dagger from his waist, placing it against Tikalo’s neck, biting his teeth harshly, roaring nacingly like an Arican tapir about to bite.
"Find a way, persuade ! Otherwise, you die here!"
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